Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today we conclude the journey which
we began a year ago, with our reading being the
end of the book of Revelation, chapters 20 through
22. Chapter 20 Then I saw an angel coming down
from heaven. Having the key to the bottomless
pit, and a great chain in his hand, he laid hold
of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the
devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand
years. And he cast him into the bottomless pit,
and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that
he should deceive the nations no more till the
thousand years were finished. But after these
things he must be released for a little while.
And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and
judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the
souls of those who had been beheaded for their
witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who
had not worshipped the beast or his image, and
had not received his mark on their foreheads
or on their hands. And they lived and reigned
with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest
of the dead did not live again until the thousand
years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first
resurrection. Over such, the second death has
no power. But they shall be priests of God and
of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand
years. Now when the thousand years have expired,
Satan will be released from his prison and will
go out to deceive the nations which are in the
four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to
gather them together to battle, whose number
is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the
breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp
of the saints and the beloved city, and fire
came down from God out of heaven and devoured
them. The devil who deceived them was cast into
the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast
and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented
day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a
great white throne, and him who sat on it, from
whose face the earth and heaven fled away, and
there was found no place for them. And I saw
the dead, small and great, standing before God.
And books were opened, and another book was opened,
which is the book of life. And the dead were
judged according to their works by the things
which were written in the books. The sea gave
up the dead who were in it, and death and Hades
delivered up the dead who were in them. And they
were judged each according to his works. Then
death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the second death, and anyone not found
written in the book of life was cast into the
lake of fire. Chapter 21 Now I saw a new heaven
and a new earth, for the first heaven and the
first earth had passed away. Also there was no
more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying,
Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and
he will dwell with them, and they shall be his
people. God himself will be with them and be
their God. And God will wipe away every tear
from their eyes. There shall be no more death,
nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more
pain, for the former things have passed away.
Then he who sat on the throne said, Behold, I
make all things new. And he said to me, Write,
for these words are true and faithful. And he
said to me, It is done. I am the Alpha and the
Omega. the beginning and the end. I will give
of the fountain of the water of life freely to
him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit
all things, and I will be his God, and he shall
be my son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable,
murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters,
and all liars shall have their part in the lake
which burns with fire and brimstone, which is
the second death. Then one of the seven angels,
who had the seven bowls, filled with the seven
last plagues, came to me and talked with me,
saying, Come, I will show you the bride, the
Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit
to a great and high mountain, and showed me the
great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out
of heaven from God, having the glory of God.
Her light was like a most precious stone, like
a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Also she had
a great and high wall with twelve gates, and
twelve angels at the gates, and names written
on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes
of the children of Israel, three gates on the
east, three gates on the north, three gates on
the south, and three gates on the west. Now the
wall of the city had twelve foundations, and
on them were the names of the twelve apostles
of the Lamb. And he who talked with me had a
gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and
its wall. the city is laid out as a square its
length is as great as its breadth and he measured
the city with the reed twelve thousand furlongs
its length breadth and height are equal then
he measured its wall one hundred and forty -four
cubits according to the measure of a man that
is of an angel the construction of its wall was
of jasper and the city was pure gold like clear
glass the foundations of the wall of the city
were adorned with all kinds of precious stones
the first foundation was jasper the second sapphire
the third chalcedony the fourth emerald the fifth
sardonyx the sixth sardius the seventh chrysolite
the eighth beryl the ninth topaz the tenth chrysopras
the eleventh jacinth and the twelfth amethyst
the twelve gates were twelve pearls each individual
gate was of one pearl and the street of the city
was pure gold like transparent glass but i saw
no temple in it for the lord god almighty and
the lamb are its temple The city had no need
of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for
the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is
its light, and the nations of those who are saved
shall walk in its light, and the kings of the
earth bring their glory and honor into it. Its
gates shall not be shut at all by day. There
shall be no night there, and they shall bring
the glory and the honor of the nations into it.
But there shall by no means enter it anything
that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie.
but only those who are written in the Lamb's
book of life. each tree yielding its fruit every
month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nations. And there shall be no more curse,
but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be
in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They
shall see His face, and His name shall be on
their foreheads. There shall be no light there.
They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the
Lord God gives them light, and they shall reign
forever and ever. Then he said to me, These words
are faithful and true. And the Lord God of the
holy prophets sent his angel to show his servants
the things which must shortly take place. Behold,
I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who keeps
the words of the prophecy of this book. Now I,
John, saw and heard these things, and when I
heard and saw, I fell down to worship before
the feet of the angel who showed me these things.
Then he said to me, See that you do not do that,
for I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren
the prophets, and of those who keep the words
of this book, worship God. And he said to me,
Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this
book, for the time is at hand. He who is unjust,
let him be unjust still. He who is filthy, let
him be filthy still. He who is righteous, let
him be righteous still. He who is holy, let him
be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly,
and my reward is with me, to give to everyone
according to his work. I am the Alpha and the
Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and
the last. Blessed are those who do his commandments,
that they may have the right to the tree of life,
and may enter through the gates into the city.
But outside are dogs, and sorcerers, and sexually
immoral, and murderers, and idolaters, and whoever
loves and practices a lie. I, Jesus, have sent
my angel to testify to you these things in the
churches. I am the root and the offspring of
David, the bright and morning star. And the Spirit
and the Bride say, Come. And let him who hears
say, Come. And let him who thirsts come. Whoever
desires, let him take the water of life freely.
For I testify to everyone who hears the words
of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds
to these things, God will add to him the plagues
that are written in this book. And if anyone
takes away from the words of the book of this
prophecy, God shall take away his part from the
book of life, from the holy city, and from the
things which are written in this book. He who
testifies to these things says, Surely I am coming
quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Ameen. And with this, we conclude our journey
through the Bible in a year. I'm so proud of
you for making it all the way through. And guess
what? Tomorrow is the beginning of a new year.
And I'm looking forward to going through this
journey again with you. Have a great day and
see you tomorrow.